Matrix Steph
by The Solo Song Warrior
Summary: Stephane, or Steph, hasn't thought fondly of her father for a while. He's lately been rushing off to his mysterious job more and more, barely spending any time with her. The rest of her family thinks little of it, and she knows that her mother's in on the secrecy. The only person that she enjoys talking about aside from dear-old-dad was Max Steel. Then she finds the Family Secret


Stephanie groaned as her alarm sounded off. She meant to just tap it's snooze button, but she must've added some extra force, because sparks came flying out and there was a slight shock. She yelped and quickly sat up in her bed, clutching her hand. As she cursed and got out of bed, she looked around her room. It had one wall made entirely of windows, a closet, a dresser, and a desk full of science and robotics projects. She took the time to pause and stare at her reflection in her full-body mirror.

Everyone says she looks just like her dad, and she hates that. She had the same brown hair, same skin tone, and same electric blue eyes. _Ugh_, she thought as she got out of bed and walked into her closet. She walked out two minutes later wearing a black shirt, deconstructed skinny jeans, purple and black sneakers, and black fingerless gloves. Her hair was in it's usual style, with bangs that made an "M", a purple streak in it, and going to her mid-back.

She reluctantly opened the door of her room and walked into her family's apartment living room, which was slightly messy and the digital blinds on the window wall had been raised. The smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes filled her nose. Her mother was finishing setting her plate, her older sister, Mindy, was watching the news, and her little brother, Jake, was lying on his stomach and drawing in front of her.

"'Morning, sweetie," Her mother said, smiling and placing her breakfast in front of her- blueberry pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs. "'Morning, Mom," Stephany said groggily, wiping the remaining sleep from her eyes. "Did Dad come home late last night? _Again_?" She asked. Her mother barely got a word out before that question was answered. "Syd, have you seen my ruler?" Steph silently sighed as she turned around to face her father, Maxwell McGrath.

He still somehow looked like a college student, like her mother. His hair was messy from rushing around, trying to get ready for work, and he looked slightly bruised. He never told them why, though. _One of the perks of my job_, he told her once. The only thing that makes that suspicious is the fact that neither her or her siblings knew what he did that kept a _very _luxurious roof over their heads. Or, semi-luxurious.

"I borrowed it," Steph said, drawing a clear blue ruler from her purple backpack. "Though why you need it I have no idea." She carelessly threw it at her father, who reacted quickly and caught it with one hand. "Thanks, Soldier," he said, smiling playfully. "Dad, for the last time, I'm no soldier. Unless you wished I'd join the army or somethin'," she silently muttered as she jabbed her fork into her pancakes. Max sighed as he scratched the back of his head. Before her could respond, Steph's phone buzzed. "Come on, Min', we gotta leave. Unless you want to be late to school," she said as she finished her breakfast and placed her plate in the sink.

"Comin'. You know, I can't wait to for you to get your license. I'm a sophomore, and being a choaffure for a freshmen is lame, even if you _are_ my sister," she said, getting up and receiving a scowl from her mother. "Well sorry that my more superior intellect makes you feel insecure," Steph commented as she picked up her bag and walked to the door. "Have a good day, girls," they heard their father say. While Mindy said goodbye, Steph just rolled her eyes as she made her way to the elevator.

* * *

"Okay, Steph, I love ya, but why do ya gotta be so harsh on your dad?" Steph was at Copper Canyon High, chatting with her friends at her locker like usual. She looked at her long-time friend Danielle in annoyance. Danielle had dark skin with blonde hair, and wore a white leather jacket over a yellow and green striped dress with matching flats. "Because he's annoying, distant, and a total jerk," she responded, closing her locker. "Steph talking about her pop again?" Steph groaned in annoyance when she turned around to find the rest of her friends coming up to greet her.

Abigail, Butch's daughter, was the one who spoke. She had a helix piercing on her right ear and a silver ring in her left eyebrow. Like always, she wore her cheerleading jacket over a plain white tee and deconstructed jeans with high tops, and her long black hair in a messy bun. Next to her was her best friend, Darien. He wore black converse, baggy jeans, a black tank top under a dark green and black flannel long-sleeved shirt opened wide. He had his black hair in a buzz cut and always had his pearly white headphones around his neck.

Next to him, Kirby's daughter Jenny was finishing up a vegan breakfast burrito. She had short brown hair that was half shaved and wore a baggy pair of khaki pants that nearly covered her high tops and a plain blue shirt tucked into it.

"Yeah. So what?" she said, placing a hand on her hip and closing her locker. "So what? That's just being a little harsh in my opinion," Jenny said, throwing her burritos' tinfoil into the trash. "He deserves it! We used to be so close. But then he decided that _work_ is more important and it's created this wedge that _always comes back_," she said, turning around to lead them to homeroom.

"I think if you knew the reason why behind the situation, you'd be singing a _whole_ other tune," Darien said walking ahead and opening the door. "If I ever get the chance," she said, taking a seat next to Danielle. Her father was pretty much swamped with work 24/7, and since she had skipped a grade, she was always trying to keep up to hold her GPA and get into any college she wanted. It wasn't like family time was always a bother to her studies.

School was normal for the entire day. Although, Jenny lost everything that was in her stomach when they were dissecting rats in Biology. And Abby did fake a faint when they had a pop quiz in history. But other than that, pretty much normal.

When they stepped out of school, there was a rush of wind. Steph looked up to see her favorite hero, Max Steel, was flying around again, looking for any trouble. "Why do you favor a guy that you don't even know over your own dad?" Dani asked as she looked up. "You know that he saved my life once or twice. Meanwhile my dad's busy with work," she finishes flatly as she adjusted her bag.

Before they could continue the subject, there was the sound of laughing. They looked down the stairs and fount that three seniors had taken a freshman boy's backpack. Steph sighed in frustration as the others, including Mindy, joined her in walking towards the scene.

"Real mature, boys. We aren't in a musical here. Give him back his bag," she said, walking in front of the boy. "Stay out of this, McGrath," a dude to her left said, glaring. "I'll stay in, thanks," she spat back as the boy began to cower. "You think you're _so _smart, eh?" "I think so. Otherwise they wouldn't bump me up," she said coolly as the other two boys came.

"Uh, sis? You're angering them," Mindy said. But Steph wasn't listening. She just stepped up in front of the ringleader, who held the bag.

"Hey, little girl, get outa the way before I do some damage," he threatened. "I think the only damage here is in your brain for not coming up with something better to say, or do" she spat back, snatching the bag and handing it to the boy. She gave him a small smile as he thanked her, running away quickly before more trouble started.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have-"

_WHAM!_

* * *

"I still say he deserved it."

"You kicked him in an _unpleasant _place, young lady!"

"Hey, he started it by hitting me in the eye!"

An hour after dealing with the principal and allowing Steph to go off with a warning instead of two weeks of detention like her opponent, she sat in the kitchen with her mother tending to her wounds while also trying to discipline her.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Mom, you and Dad always talked about how you guys fought for what was right!" "But we didn't get into _physical_ fights, Steph." "Uh, lies! I know for a fact that Dad got in a heated fight with some dudes that picked on Kirby senior year all because he wouldn't do their homework!"

Syd growled as she finished cleaning a cut on Steph's forearm and forced an icepack on her daughter's eye, which was starting to swell. Shaking her head in disappointment, Syd got up to put the first aid kit away.

"If I had to go back and redo it I wouldn't do it any differently."

Containing her anger, Syd turned around to face her youngest daughter.

"There are more ways to fight for justice than with violence, Stephanie." "Your mom's right, kiddo."

Max walked in, a frown on his face as he crossed his arms. Steph just rolled her eyes as she kept a firm grip on the ice pack.

"Oh, don't go starting your parenting now, Dad," she spat. "Stephanie!" "What?! He spends most of his time doing 'work' and hiding who knows what and suddenly he thinks he can act like he knows me enough to give off the idea he knows me better?! How about you come back and try that after you don't miss out on some of the major parts of my childhood and stop keeping secrets," she yelled at Max, glaring so hard it aggravated her eye even more. She didn't care as she spun around and stomped off to her room.

"You're grounded for two months straight, young lady!" "Whatever, Mom! It's not like we had anything planed or anything interesting's going on!"

With that, she slammed the door, screaming to herself at the top of her lungs. She couldn't care less about her grounding. Any plans with her friends could easily be pushed back or held in secret. Before she could start burning her room in anger, she spotted the wall of pictures she had n the wall on the side of her bed.

The pictures held a lot of fun memories. Some recent, most in the past. Nowadays, with her father being even more busy than usual, missing a fair amount of birthdays, having limited time to spend the holidays with him, and her parents acting _very secretive_, she was having a hard time remembering them.

She looked at the most recent memory: Last year for Christmas, when the entire family, including her grandparents and great uncle Ferrus, rented a lodge up in the mountains. She remembered owning her father in snowboarding and enjoying skating with her parents. It was the first Christmas in a while that they had spent together without her fearing her father leaving on short notice and then getting mad about it.

That was nearly an entire year ago. And, with her birthday coming up soon, Steph doubted her father would be there 100%. She had no idea why her mother let this stuff slide.

* * *

"I _cannot _let this slide anymore!" Syd announced in their room, loudly but low enough so Steph wouldn't hear clearly through the walls.

"Well, if I tell her now, she may react terribly." "Babe, she's already trying to edge you out because of it!" "But we were good last week!" "Until you had to suddenly run off because of a 'work-related' emergency during dinner. That's just making her feel worse! She thinks you don't want to spend time with us- mainly _her._"

Max sighed as he rubbed his palm on his temple. He remembered how simple it used to be as Max Steel _and _Max McGrath, a father that was loved by his children. He never had this problem with Mindy, who, as oldest, was used to it and accepted the fact that he was busy. Jake, so far, hadn't picked up his sister's hate, but it was only a matter of time.

"We never had this much issues with Mindy," he said in a low voice, sitting on the couch, putting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. "You weren't as busy with Mindy," Syd said, sitting next to him and placing a hand on his back. "Ever since her eight birthday... with the accident..."

"It's like the danger has been gradually increasing," he finished. Syd silently nodded, looking down at the hardwood floor. "Maybe I should've told her sooner. You've seen her room, you've seen the way she watches the news, how she talks about Max Steel... That day was my day to tell her and I only made things worse. She'll hate me even more when I do."

Syd stayed silent, then an idea popped up.

"It's Friday, right?" "Yeah... why?" Syd only grinned.

"How about a family day? Bring Steel, too."

Max suddenly caught onto her idea.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?"


End file.
